Leaders Hope Influx Of College Basketball Fans Jump-Start Pittsburgh's Post-Pandemic Economy
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Pittsburgh leaders hope the influx of college basketball fans from around the country will help jump-start the city's post-pandemic economy.
Not one but two NCAA Tournaments are coming to Pittsburgh, and the hope is all that excitement will light a fire under the local economy, especially our hotels, bars and restaurants.
"We know no industry has been hurt more over these last couple of years than the hospitality industry: our hotels, our restaurants, our venues. ... It's so great as we get to the end of this pandemic, hopefully, we're starting to get a little more normalcy," Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said.
The bars and restaurants are pretty much empty now, but the city hopes they will start filling up with college basketball fans starting at the end of the week.
"This is a beautiful city. I can only imagine what they think when they come through those tunnels," Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said.
In total, 12 teams are playing in nine games over four days in two major events. Games for the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament are at PPG Paints Arena and the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championships are at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse at Duquesne University.
At a press conference Tuesday hosted by Visit Pittsburgh, Gainey and Fitzgerald touted the coming of the tournaments as a great way to show off the city and get the hospitality industry moving again.
Fitzgerald said Port Authority cuts shouldn't dampen what he hopes will be a big celebration.